Bill Godshall Update 2014-12-23

Tobacco Harm Reduction Update - December 23rd, 2014

Contents:
US Congress, THR Research, 2014 MTF Teen Survey, THR Education and Advocacy, Taxation, Smoking / Vaping Bans, Packaging, Age Restriction, FDA, UK, Ireland, France, More Junk Science, Propaganda and Lies.
 

US Congress

Sen. Durbin and Reps. Waxman and Pallone threaten public health and civil justice by urging 29 State AGs to unconstitutionally sue e-cig manufacturers by reinterpreting the 1998 MSA to classify e-cigs as “cigarettes” and to lobby for FDA deeming reg (that would ban >99% of vapor products) by grossly misrepresenting teen surveys finding record annual declines in teen smoking, record low teen smoking rates, and that e-cigs are gateways away from cigarettes for some teens.
http://democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?q=news/democratic-leaders-urge-fda-action-call-for-state-attorneys-general-to-classify-e-cigarettes-un

Note MSA definition: a 'Cigarette' means any product that contains nicotine, is intended to be burned or heated under ordinary conditions of use, and consists of or contains (1) any roll of tobacco wrapped in paper or in any substance not containing tobacco; or (2) tobacco, in any form, that is functional in the product, which, because of its appearance, the type of tobacco used in the filler, or its packaging and labeling, is likely to be offered to, or purchased by, consumers as a cigarette; or (3) any roll of tobacco wrapped in any substance containing tobacco which, because of its appearance, the type of tobacco used in the filler, or its packaging and labeling, is likely to be offered to, or purchased by, consumers as a cigarette described in clause (1) of this definition.”
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/fda-regulations/635733-e-cig-opponents-congress-urge-state-ags-lobby-fda-deeming-reg-ban-risk-their-political-careers-unlawfully-suing-e-cig-companies-under-msa.html
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/fda-regulations/635733-e-cig-opponents-congress-urge-state-ags-lobby-fda-deeming-reg-ban-risk-their-political-careers-unlawfully-suing-e-cig-companies-under-msa-3.html#post14872456

AVA: Congressional e-cigarette opponents play Grinch
Three Congressional Democrats want State AGs to declare vaping products 'cigarettes'.
http://vaping.info/blog/2014/congressional-e-cigarette-opponents-play-grinch

Mike Siegel: Senator Durbin asks Attorneys General to violate the Constitution and misinterpret the Master Settlement Agreement to reign in electronic cigarettes
http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/12/senator-durbin-asks-attorneys-general.html

THR Research

New Canadian poll finds:
- 63% of vapers who quit smoking vape nicotine-free vapor products,
- 96% of never smokers who use e-cigs vape nicotine-free vapor products,
- 68% of vapers who still smoke vape nicotine products (38% always, 30% sometimes),
- 29% of vapers always vape nicotine, 24% sometimes do, and 47% never vape nicotine,
- 64% of smokers, 27% of ex-smokers, and 9% of never smokers “ever used” an e-cig,
http://poll.forumresearch.com/post/197/two-thirds-using-e-cigs-to-quit-one-quarter-to-one-third-are-successful
http://poll.forumresearch.com/data/Federal%20E-Cig%20News%20Release%20(2014%2012%2011)%20Forum%20Research.pdf
(Note that since 2008 Health Canada has claimed that sales of nicotine containing vapor products are unlawful, but has never enforced the purported law)

Ex-smokers credit e-cigarettes for helping them quit, poll finds
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/ex-smokers-credit-e-cigarettes-for-helping-them-quit-poll-finds/article22135601/

Mike Siegel: Canadian survey suggests that electronic cigarettes are a useful smoking cessation tool
http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/12/canadian-survey-suggests-that.html

AVA: Two studies demonstrate vaping helps smokers quit
http://vaping.info/blog/2014/two-new-studies-demonstrate-vaping-helps-smoker-quit

ASH UK: Evidence that electronic cigarettes can help smokers to quit
http://www.ash.org.uk/media-room/press-releases/:evidence-that-electronic-cigarettes-can-help-smokers-to-quit

Vapour Trail: The latest investigation of vaping suggests it can help you quit smoking
http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21636714-latest-investigation-vaping-suggests-it-can-help-you-quit-smoking-vapour?fsrc=scn/tw/te/pe/ed/vapourtrail

E-cigarettes may help smokers kick the habit (NJ)
http://www.nj.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2014/12/e-cigarettes_may_help_smokers_quit_the_habit.html#incart_river

2014 MTF Teen Survey

Since e-cigs were first marketed in 2006, MTF finds “daily” cigarette smoking declined 65% by 8th graders (4.0% to 1.4%), 48% by 10th graders (7.6% to 3.2%), and 30% by 12th graders (12.2% to 8.5%). Note that many 12th graders are 18, and can legally be sold cigarettes in 46 states.
http://monitoringthefuture.org/data/14data/14tobtbl1.pdf

Since e-cig marketing began in 2006, MTF finds “past-30-day” cigarette smoking declined 54% by 8th graders (8.7% to 4.0%), 50% by 10th graders (14.5% to 7.2%), and 37% by 12th graders (21.6% to 13.6%).
http://monitoringthefuture.org/data/14data/14tobtbl1.pdf

Jacob Sullum: Are e-cigarettes displacing the real thing?
As more teenagers vape, fewer smoke.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobsullum/2014/12/18/as-vaping-rises-to-record-highs-smoking-falls-to-record-lows/
http://reason.com/archives/2014/12/22/are-e-cigarettes-displacing-the-real-thi

Brad Rodu: High School Seniors Post Largest Ever Single-Year Decline in Smoking; E-Cigs May Have Played a Role
http://rodutobaccotruth.blogspot.com/2014/12/high-school-seniors-post-largest-ever.html

CTFK claims to be “shocked” that teen smoking is at record lows and that many teen smokers have switched to far less hazardous smokefree e-cigs, once again urges FDA to impose deeming regulation (that would protect cigarettes by banning >99% of e-cigs, and by giving the e-cig industry to Big Tobacco)
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/press_releases/post/2014_12_16_ecig

Legacy troubled that many teen smokers have been switching to far less hazardous e-cigs
http://legacyforhealth.org/newsroom/press-releases/good-news-troublesome-news-teen-cigarette-smoking-shows-significant-decline-but-e-cigarettes-rapidly-fueling-youth-nicotine-use

Winston-Salem Journal: Richard Craver’s article on MTF survey
http://www.journalnow.com/eedition/mapping/advocates-worry-about-increase-in-teen-e-cig-use/article_60271f2c-407a-5a59-a4e0-a0dac65dcec1.html

THR Education and Advocacy

David Sweanor talks about Vaping on the Todd Shapiro Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6_hWcCviC4&feature=youtu.be
http://toddshapiro.corefusion.net/199-december-17-2014.mp3 (from 35:00 to 56:50)

Clive Bates The Worst letter of 2014
http://www.clivebates.com/?p=2597

Brad Rodu: “For Smokers Only” Audiobook & Video Interview
http://rodutobaccotruth.blogspot.com/2014/12/for-smokers-only-audiobook-video.html
http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/For-Smokers-Only-Audiobook/B00PHRM1EY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTOooWc0dsI

John McLay: For many, e-cigs are an elegant solution (MN)
http://current.mnsun.com/2014/12/column-for-many-e-cigs-are-an-elegant-solution/

Karl Fagerstrom – Nicotine: Pharmacology, Toxicity and Therapeutic use
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jsc.2014.27

Taxation

WA Governor Jay Inslee proposes imposing 95% tax on all vapor products (including nicotine-free products), ban Internet vapor products sales to WA consumers (even though WA has no legal authority to regulate the Internet or enforce law against out-of-state vendors), require licensing of vapor product vendors to generate an estimated $18 million in tax revenue. Also proposes increasing cigarette tax rate by $.50 pack (from $3.025/pack to $3.525/pack) to generate an estimated $38 million in revenue.
http://ofm.wa.gov/budget15/highlights/TaxChanges/2014_12_12_Excise_tax_on_e-cigs_and_vapor_products.pdf
http://ofm.wa.gov/budget15/highlights/201517_highlights_revenue.pdf
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/9a4f373f9d7e44df9ab1febe72dc4a58/WA--Inslee-Budget/

AVA: Gov. Inslee’s vapor tax would decimate small businesses & hurt smokers
http://vaping.info/blog/2014/washington-vapor-e-cigarettes-tax-would-decimate-small-businesses

E-cig and vape tax could be coming
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/E-cig-and-vape-tax-could-be-coming-286321491.html

Smoking/Vaping Bans

Proposed smoking (and vaping) ban heads to Montgomery (AL) city council
http://www.wsfa.com/story/27690634/proposed-smoking-ban-heads-to-montgomery-city-council

Hawaii County (HI) bill (302) would ban vaping by falsely redefining smoking to include use of smokefree “electronic smoking devices”.
http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/WebLink8/0/doc/834189/Page1.aspx

Packaging

MO prefiled bill (HB 151) would require purportedly “child-safe” packaging for all vapor products
http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills151/billpdf/intro/HB0147I.PDF

Age Restriction

Columbia (MO) City Council raises legal age for sale of tobacco and e-cigs to 21 years, and bans vaping where smoking is banned
http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=1136716#.VJakG8AB-

FDA

To further promote the FDA deeming regulation (that would ban >99% f vapor products, and give the e-cig industry to Big Tobacco) the NY Times editors publish letter by World Lung Foundation’s Neil Schluger endorsing last week’s misleading fear mongering NY Times article on e-cig manufacturing, and making many more false claims about e-cigs
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/23/opinion/e-cigarettes-in-china.html

FDA sends warning letters to 6 online retailers for selling Star Ariva and/or Stonewall tobacco lozenges (that are very similar to FDA approved NRT lozenges) because FDA declared them NSE and/or for advertising smokeless tobacco products that didn’t include the false and misleading warnings and/or that described smokeless tobacco products as “mild” or as having “lower nicotine” in violation of the FSPTCA, .
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/default.htm
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm427131.htm
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm427151.htm
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm427129.htm
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm427148.htm
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm427137.htm
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm427139.htm

FDA sent similar warning letters to 19 other retailers in November and earlier this month:
http://www.fda.gov/tobaccoproducts/labeling/tobaccoproductreviewevaluation/newtobaccoproductreviewandevaluation/ucm371765.htm

UK

UK opens consultation on proposal to ban e-cig sales to minors under 18
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nicotine-inhaling-products-introducing-a-minimum-age-of-sale

UK convenience store group supports banning e-cig sales to youth
http://www.talkingretail.com/category-news/independent-news/acs-welcomes-e-cigarettes-age-restriction-proposal/
http://www.betterretailing.com/ecigarette-under-18s-ban-government/

Ireland

Irish Cancer Society estimates there are 134,000 e-cig users in Ireland, makes many false claims about e-cigs, urges Irish government to ban the lifesaving products (which would protect cigarettes and threaten the lives of all Irish smokers, vapers and 2nd hand smokers.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/some-134-000-e-cigarette-users-in-ireland-says-cancer-charity-1.2040134

France

Legal “e-spliff” helps relieve pain of MS and cancer patients – without the cannabis high
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/health/article-2876326/Electronic-joint-developed-help-people-multiple-sclerosis-cancer-pain-s-completely-legal.html

France seeks to ban cannabis vaporizers
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/france-seeks-stamp-first-e-180412067.html#0sR8SPk

More Junk Science, Propaganda and Lies

FDA funded Stan Glantz conflates “No-nicotine e-cigs” with “nicotine e-cigs”, conflates “ever use” of an e-cig with chronic use, and otherwise misrepresents findings of many different e-cigarette surveys to confuse, scare and lobby for unwarranted e-cig restrictions that protect cigarettes
https://tobacco.ucsf.edu/more-details-how-e-cigarettes-are-recruiting-kids-nicotine-addiction
https://tobacco.ucsf.edu/implications-major-national-survey-showing-ecigs-surpassing-cigs-among-teens-2014-us
https://tobacco.ucsf.edu/more-evidence-youth-are-using-e-cigs-initiate-nicotine-addiction-also-growing-evidence-moving-cigarettes

FDA funded Stan Glantz criticizes Clive Bates for telling the truth about e-cigs, Glantz and other THR denialists who make false claims about vaping
https://tobacco.ucsf.edu/sampling-clive-bates-twitter


- Bill Godshall

Godshall THRU 2014-12-23